Paint-removing apparatus



urgch 24, 1925.

A; J. LEWIS YAINT REIOVING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1, 1922 -uulllnllilllllml March 24, 1925.

` Lsswrs A. J. LEWIS PAINT REMOVING APPARATUS Filed Juno l, 1922 uid from the Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALVIN T. LEWIS, or oscnom, IOWA.

PAINT-RENOVING APPARATUS.

Application led June 1, 1922. Serial No. `585,274.

To all whom it may concern:

n:Be it known that I, ALVIN J.l Lewis, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Osceola in the county of Clarke and State of Ioiwa, have invented a certain new and useful Paint-Removing A paratus, of which the following is a speci cation.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of simplegjdurable and inexpensivey construction designed to quickly and conveniently'-` remove material such as paint, varnish etc., yfrom surfaces.

More speciticallypfitis-my object to provide an apparatuso'f this character in which the liquid paint removermay be applied to the surface for cleaning at a temperature as near as possible to the boiling omt.

In this connection itis my o jectto provide an ap aratus in whic'hia minimum amount of t e liquid aint remover may be used, and in which t e flow of the liquid paint remover 'upon the surface 'to be cleaned may be stopped and started readily and easily, and yet at the same time the operator may obtain, at the discharge end of.

the nozzle, a supply of liquid aint remover heated to approximately the oiling point, and under heavy pressure. My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby Ithe objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims. and illustrated in the accompanying drawin, in which:

igure 1 shows a side elevation of an ap` paratus embodying my invention.

Figure 2 shows a top or plan view of the same.

Figure 3 shows an end elevation partly in section of same.

Figure 4 shows a detail view of the lautomatic valve for permitting the return of liqlpump to the supply tank; and Figure 5 s ows a sectional View of the hea-ter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used theireference numeral 10 to indicate a suitable base or platform mounted upon supporting wheels 11 to` make the device readily portable.

At one end of the platform is a liquid supply tank 12 open at the top. At the opposlte end of the platform there is mounted a liquid pump y13, preferably ofthe typeA having three cylinders and pistons, all of which pistons are operated from .a `crank shaft 14. This shaft Ahas a gear wheel 15 thereon in mesh with a .pinion 16, which latter is mounted on a shaft 17.

The shaft 17 is driven from a motor 18 through the belts and vpulleys 19.v\ A belt tightener 2O of the ordinary construction is applied to the belt. The pump communicates with the bottom of the supply tank direct. The pipe 21. is provided with a valve 22, by which the supply may be cut oli'. Leading from the Apump is a pipe 23 which extends upwardly and then rearwardly to a point over the supply tank.

lIn this pipe 23 is a pressure equalizer 24 of 'ordinary construction.

At the discharge end of the pipe 23 there v is a valve, illustrated in Figure 4, comprising a body portion 25, anda valve 26, the latter of which is rovided with a s ring 27 by which it is yie dingly held to tlie valve seat. The spring may be adjusted as to tension by manipulation of the wing nut 28, so

that the pressure required to o en .the valver t enthe valve may be ereby regulated. is open, the discharge enters into the supply tank.

' Arranged near the center of the lplatform is a heater' body 29 havin therein a burner 30 and a heating coil 31. plied with liquid fuel from a tank 32'. This tank is closed. At its top end there is a exible bulb 33 and a hose 34 connectedito er `by a pipe 37 leading from the top of the heater to a point near the central portion of the ytank 36. At the bottom of the tank 36 is a pipe 38 leading to the bottom of the heater. A supply of liquid cleaner is pro-y vided in the tank 36l through a branch pipe 39, connected with the pipe 23 and inserted through the top of the` tank 36, and extended downwardly therein to a point near the bottom of the tank 36, as illustrated in Figure 3.

e burner is sup- The pipe .39 is provided at its upper end with a pressure gauge 40.

I also preferably provide at the top of the tank 36 a thermometer 41 for determinl ing the temperature of the liquid.

Leading from the top of the tank 36 and discharging into the supply tank 12 is a steam blow-off pipe 42 provided with a cut olf valve 43. The liquid is delivered from the tank 36 through a pipe 44 leading from the top of the tank and a fiexible hose 45, the latter being provided at its discharge end with a nozzle 46, and this nozzle is provided with a cut olf valve 47.

In practical use, and assuming that the supply tank is filled with a liquid cleaner of such nature as to soften and Vremove paint and the like when applied thereto in a heated condition and under pressure, the operator first lights the burner and also starts the pump. A supply of liquid cleaner .is carried from the supply tank by the pump into the tank 36. From this tank it is circulated through the heating coil by gravity. In view of the fact that there is only a small supply of liquid in the tank 36, the contents of this tank are rapidly heated `to approximately the boiling point, and at the same time the ump will apply pressure to the liquid wit in the tank 36 to the desired amount.

In the event that the pressure of the pump becomes greater than the desired amount, the valve 26 will be automatically opened and the liquid discharged into `the supply tank to relieve the pressure. In this way, the presure is automatically maintainedat a certain predetermined point, while the pump is running, and regardless of whether or not li uid is being withdrawn from the tank 36.

n the event that the liquid should become heated above the boiling point, then the pipe 32 will conduct any steam generated to the upper end of the tank 36 back into the main supply tank, upon the opening of the valve 43. The operator can, by observing the thermometer, determine when it is necessary to open this valve 43.

When the supply of liquid in the tank 36 is sufliciently heated, and the proper pressure is applied to it, the operator grasps the nozzle 46 and opens the valve 47, which permits the heated liquid to flow upon the painted surface to be cleaned.

In practice I have found it desirable to first apply the heated liquid over the painted surface to be cleaned, and then shut olf the nozzle and permit a cleaning compound to work chemically on the paint. In some instances it is necessary to make several applications of the heated liquid in this way before the paint can be wholly removed. My apparatus is particularly advantageous in a case of this kind, because the operator need not stop the pump or the heater, and

need only to shut off the valve in the discharge nozzle. This alsol greatly economizes in the use of the cleaning liquid. v

After the cleaning compound has had time to penetrate the paint, -then a current of heated liquid under pressure is applied to the surface, and the combined action of the chemicals and the heat and the pressure serves to remove all traces and particles of the paint from the surface being treated.

By means of my improved apparatus, the operator may start the pump and the heater` when all the liquid in the suppl tank is cold and in a very few minutes the' apparatus will be ready lfor use, because only a small quantity is contained in the tank 36 which can-be rapidly heated. As fast as the supply is removed from the tank 36, it is renewed through the pipe 23 from the pump.

By thus providing an apparatus in which the supply of liquid is automatically maintained at the proper pressure, and a smallv quantity of it constantly maintained at the right temperature, the flow of liquid controlled by the valve in the discharge nozzle, the operation of removing paint is made convenient, facile and economical, and the operator need pay no attent-ion to the burner or the pump while he is engaged in directing the flow of the liquid upon the painted surface to be cleaned.

I claim as my invention:

l 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a large storage tank for liquid, a pump in communication therewith, a small tank for liquid, means for providing a passa eway for liquid from the pump to the sma l tank, means for providing a passageway for liquid from the pump to the large tank, a spring closed valve in the latter communicating means capable of opening when the pressure from the pump exceeds a certain predetermined amount, a discharge pipe communicating with the small tank and a heater for the small tank, said parts being so arranged that when the discharge pipe is open and the pump running, only that portion of the liquid contained within the small tank will be heated, and

when the discharge pipe is closed and they pump operating the discharge from the pump will flow back into the large storage tank without being heated.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a large storage tank for liquid, a pump in communication therewith, a small tank for liquid, means for providing a .passageway for liquid from the pump to the small tank, means for providing a passageway for liquid from the pump to the large tank, a spring closed valve in the latter communicating means capable of open-/ ing when the pressure of the Ypump exceeds a certain predetermined amount, a discharge pipe communicating with the small tank and a heater for the small tank, said parts being so arranged that when the discharge pipe is open an the pump running only that portion of the liquid contained within the small tank will be heated, and when the discharge pipe is closed and the pump operating the discharge from the pump Will iow back into the large storage tank Without .being heated, and a steam pipe leading from the small tank to the large one so that when the passage of liquid through the small tank is stopped, the heater may continue to operate and need not be cut ott, for the purposes stated.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a supply tank, a pump communicatin with the supply tank, a pipe leading from t e pump to the to of the supply tank, a spring closed va ve therein, means for adJusting the tension of the i@ spring, a tank for heated liquid, a branch pipe opening into the tank for heated li uid and communicating with the pipe-lea ing from the pump to the storage tank anddischargin into the bottom of the tank for heated liquid, a heater, a pipe leading from the bottom of the tank for heated liquid and communicating with the bottom of the heater, a pipe leading from the to of the heater into the tank for heated liquid whereby gravity flow is maintainedwithin the tank for heated liquid and the heater when the heater isin operation, a' ressure gauge on the pipe leading from t e pump into the tank for heated liquid, a discharge pipe leading from the top of the tank for heated liqui and a cut off Valve in said discharge pipe, substantially as described and for the purpose stated.

Des Moines, Iowa, January 26, 1922.

ALVIN J. LEWIS. 

